Navy Branch Museum

National Museum of the American Sailor

The archive’s Medal of Honor connection is anchored by William H. Brown, whose original Medal is documented by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society as located at the museum. This places a nineteenth-century Navy recipient within a museum primarily focused on the enlisted sailor experience.

MOH-MUS-000055Evidence reviewed 2026-10-12Temporarily closed

National Museum of the American Sailor public openingU.S. military photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Eric Lockwood / U.S. Navy · public domain · Public domain (government image, subject to DVIDS image-use restrictions) ↗ · Source ↗

Historical context

About this institution

The National Museum of the American Sailor, a Naval History and Heritage Command museum at Great Lakes, interprets the experience of enlisted sailors and the training institution that has shaped generations of Navy personnel. Its collections cover recruiting, boot camp, daily shipboard life, uniforms, traditions, and service across multiple eras.

Why it matters to Medal of Honor research

The museum offers an important enlisted-service lens for Medal of Honor study, allowing William H. Brown’s award to be considered alongside Navy ratings, training, daily life, and the evolution of the American sailor.

Collection guide

What to look for

The following highlights summarize the strongest verified reasons to include this institution in the archive. They are a planning guide, not a promise that every object is on view at all times.

William H. Brown original Medal of Honor location

Enlisted sailor history

Recruit training and Great Lakes history

Navy uniforms, traditions and personal material

Verified connections

Medal of Honor relationships

1 total1 original medal

Original Medal of Honor

William H. Brown

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society documents William H. Brown’s original Medal of Honor as located at the National Museum of the American Sailor in Great Lakes, Illinois.

Record: William H. Brown Medal of Honor

Verified 2026-10-08 · Current, display status not specified

Evidence sources and scope

William H. Brown | Medal of Honor Recipient ↗Congressional Medal of Honor Society
National Museum of the American Sailor ↗Naval History and Heritage Command

Original Medal location is documented; current public exhibition is not claimed, particularly while the museum is temporarily closed.

Collection focus

Historical specialties

U.S. Navy enlisted historyrecruit trainingsailor material cultureGreat Lakes Naval historyoriginal Medal of Honor

Service connections

U.S. Navy

Conflict connections

Civil War · World War I · World War II · Korean War · Vietnam War

Visitor planning

The museum is undergoing renovation and is not currently available for normal public visitation. The profile remains useful for collection-location research, but visitors should not plan a trip until Naval History and Heritage Command announces reopening details.

2531 Sheridan Road
Great Lakes, Illinois, 60088
United States

Open location in OpenStreetMap ↗Official website ↗Current visitor information ↗Collection or exhibit information ↗

The museum is temporarily closed for renovation according to its official visitor page.
Do not interpret the original Medal location as a promise of current public display while the museum is closed.
Check the official visitor page for reopening information before travel.
The Navy visitor page continues to say fully closed for renovations; an older early-2026 estimate on that page is not evidence that the museum reopened.

Admission prices, opening schedules, installation rules, and object availability are left to the institution because they can change.

Access status

Temporarily closed

Map point: 42.3119444, -87.8430556 · Verified Wikidata

Institution sources

National Museum of the American Sailor ↗Naval History and Heritage Command · Priority 1
Visit the National Museum of the American Sailor ↗Naval History and Heritage Command · Priority 1
William H. Brown | Medal of Honor Recipient ↗Congressional Medal of Honor Society · Priority 2
National Museum of the American Sailor coordinate reference ↗Wikidata · Priority 5

Archive standard

“Original Medal of Honor” relationships require direct source evidence. A location record is not described as a current public display unless the institution confirms display status.